My Design Approach

I am often asked to describe what style of furniture I make to someone who has never seen my work. My favorite tongue-in-cheek response is “rusticated, post-agricultural contemporary country.” While this description is cumbersome, it is fairly accurate.

My basic concept is to use "off the shelf" parts in ways that were never intended; as elements in the furniture. Because the shop is located on a farm, I decided to develop that as a theme, so that is why the parts are farm related. The idea is to make something special out of something ordinary. Ax handles seemed to be the perfect stool leg with their gentle S-curve and knobby foot. Pitchforks make ideal supports for chair backs, they even have some spring when you lean back. Disc blades, used on farm equipment, are equally good as bases for my coat trees, lamps, and music stands. These "parts" have become significant elements in my design vocabulary, and give the furniture its distinctive Bradford "look".